Surface cleaning apparatus

• US 9,392,916 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest, Thorne, Jason Boyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, SHANTESE L
• Application Number:
  US14/290,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 153/50, 153/52, 153/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4094 Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/26 with driven dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0095 Suction cleaners or attachments adapted to collect dust or waste from power tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0686 Nozzles with cleaning cloths, e.g. using disposal fabrics for covering the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/248 Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes nozzles A47L9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

A portable surface cleaning unit is disclosed. The surface cleaning apparatus includes a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet, an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, a portable surface cleaning unit comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member removably mounted to the upper portion, a cleaning wand removably mounted to the upper portion, a flexible air flow conduit forming at least part of an air flow path from the wand to the surface cleaning unit, and a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion. The wand lock may include a wand release actuator which is provided on the wand and is removable with the wand from the upper portion.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet;

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position;

(c) a portable surface cleaning unit comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member removably mounted to the upper portion;

(d) an above floor cleaning wand removably mounted to the upper portion;

(e) a flexible air flow conduit forming at least part of an air flow path from the above floor cleaning wand to the surface cleaning unit; and

(f) a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion, the wand lock comprising;

(i) a wand release actuator which is provided on the wand and is removable with the wand from the upper portion;

(ii) a locking member that is releasably engageable with the upper portion; and

,

(iii) a longitudinal extending transmission member that drivingly connects the wand release actuator to the lock member, the transmission member is translatable downwardly when the wand locking is moved to the unlocked position.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the locking member is translated laterally to a position in which it is disengaged from the upper portion when the transmission member is translated downwardly.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable surface cleaning unit is removably mounted on an outer surface of the upper portion and the wand.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable surface cleaning unit and the above floor cleaning wand are each individually removable from the upper portion.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wand is removably received in the upper portion.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the upper portion is in air flow communication with the dirty air inlet and, when the wand is positioned in the upper portion, the wand is in air flow communication with the dirty air inlet and part of the upper portion extends around the wand.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 further comprising an air flow passage from the dirty air inlet to the upper portion and an air inlet end of the wand is aligned with an outlet end of the air flow passage when the wand is received in the upper portion.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the wand comprises a lower end that is received in the upper portion and an upper end, the lower end comprises a wand air inlet and the upper end comprises a wand air outlet, a handle is provided proximate the upper end of the wand, whereby, when the wand is received in the upper section, the wand is driving connected to the surface cleaning head and the upper section is configured to stabilize the wand when the wand is drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the upper portion is configured as an alignment member and the wand is receivable in the upper section in a particular alignment.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the upper portion is generally egg shaped in transverse section and a portion of an outer surface of the wand is generally egg shaped in transverse section.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flexible air flow conduit is electrified and the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a power tool that is powered by a circuit that includes the flexible electrified air flow conduit.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upper portion is steeringly coupled to the surface cleaning head.

13. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet;

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position;

(c) a portable surface cleaning unit comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member removably mounted to the upper portion;

(d) an above floor cleaning wand removably mounted on an outer surface of the upper portion;

(e) a flexible air flow conduit forming at least part of an air flow path from the above floor cleaning wand to the surface cleaning unit;

(f) a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion, the wand lock comprising;

(i) a wand release actuator which is provided on the wand and is removable with the wand from the upper portion;

(ii) a locking member that is releasably engageable with the upper portion;

wherein the portable surface cleaning unit and the above floor cleaning wand are each individually removable from the upper portion.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a turbo brush that is connectable to the above floor cleaning wand when the above floor cleaning wand is removed from the upper portion.

15. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirt air inlet;

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position;

(c) a portable surface cleaning unit comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member removably mounted to the upper portion;

(d) an above floor cleaning wand removably mounted to the upper portion;

(e) a flexible air flow conduit forming at least part of an air flow path from the above floor cleaning wand to the surface cleaning unit;

(f) a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion, the wand lock comprising a wand release actuator which is provided on the wand and is removable with the wand from the upper portion; and

,

(g) a portable surface cleaning unit lock having a locked position in which the portable surface cleaning unit is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the portable surface cleaning unit is removable from the upper portion, the portable surface cleaning unit lock comprising a portable surface cleaning unit release actuator which is provided on the portable surface cleaning unit and is removable with the portable surface cleaning unit from the upper portion.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the portable surface cleaning unit is removably mounted on an outer surface of the upper portion.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the portable surface cleaning unit is also removably mounted to the wand.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 17 wherein the portable surface cleaning unit is slidably receivable on upper mounting members that are provided on the wand.

19. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirt air inlet;

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position;

(c) a portable surface cleaning unit comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member removably mounted to the upper portion;

(d) an above floor cleaning wand removably received in the upper portion;

(e) a flexible air flow conduit forming at least part of an air flow path from the above floor cleaning wand to the surface cleaning unit; and

,

(f) a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion, the wand lock comprising a wand release actuator which is provided on the wand and is removable with the wand from the upper portion

wherein the upper portion extends upwardly to surround a sufficient portion of the wand when the wand is positioned in the upper portion whereby the wand will remain in the upper portion when the wand lock is in the unlocked position.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a turbo brush that is connectable to the above floor cleaning wand when the above floor cleaning wand is removed from the upper portion.

21. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirt air inlet;

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position;

(c) a portable surface cleaning unit comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member removably mounted to the upper portion;

(d) an above floor cleaning wand removably mounted to the upper portion;

(e) a flexible air flow conduit forming at least part of an air flow path from the above floor cleaning wand to the surface cleaning unit; and

,

(f) a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion, the wand lock comprising a wand release actuator which is provided on the wand and is removable with the wand from the upper portion

wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is reconfigurable from a first floor cleaning configuration in which the portable surface cleaning unit is mounted to the upper portion, the above floor cleaning wand is mounted to the upper portion and the flexible air flow conduit forms at least part of an air flow path from the surface cleaning head to the surface cleaning unit and a second floor cleaning configuration in which the portable surface cleaning unit is removed from the upper portion, the above floor cleaning wand is mounted to the upper portion and the flexible air flow conduit forms at least part of an air flow path from the surface cleaning head to the surface cleaning unit.

22. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirt air inlet;

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position;

(c) a portable surface cleaning unit comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member removably mounted to the upper portion;

(d) an above floor cleaning wand removably mounted to the upper portion;

(e) a flexible air flow conduit forming at least part of an air flow path from the above floor cleaning wand to the surface cleaning;

(f) a wand lock having a locked position in which the wand is secured to the upper portion and an unlocked position in which the wand is removable from the upper portion, the wand lock comprising a wand release actuator which is provided on the wand and is removable with the wand from the upper portion

wherein the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises an alternate surface cleaning head that is adapted to removable receive a hard floor cleaning member.